Blood pressure cuff inflator



United States Patent Irving Asa Rosenstein 3162 Balnbridge Ave., Bronx, New York 10467 Feb. 5, 1968 Dec. 1, 1970 Inventor Appl No Filed Patented BLOOD PRESSURE CUFF INFLATOR 6 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs.

U.S.Cl. Int. Cl A61b 5/02 Field of Search 128/205 (Sph), 2.05(MS), 2.05(AS). 2.05(R),

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,952,253 9/1960 Seligman et al ..l28/2.05(Sph)UX 3,252,459 5/1966 Hay ..128/2.05(Sph)UX 3,349,763 10/1967 Clements et al. ...l28/2.05(MS)UX FOREIGN PATENTS 512,430 1 1/1930 Germany ..128/2.05(Sph)UX Primary Examiner-Anton O. Oeschsle Attorney-A. Fred Starobin ABSTRACT: A blood pressure cuff inflator including an electrically driven air pump with electrical switching, and valve means for release of air pressure, both positioned for operation by one hand at the squeeze bulb.

Patented Dgc. 1, 1970 3,543,745

dim/MM ATTORNEY BLOOD PRESSURE CUFF INFLATOR The present invention relates to the inflation of a blood pressure cuff and more particularly to auxiliary means of cuff inflation.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION With the number of patients who are examined by a physician daily many of whom must have a reading of their blood pressure, the amount of squeezing through hand pumping of the blood pressure indicating device, whether it be of the mercury column, spring needle or sphygmooscillator type, is both time-consuming and may actually be painful to the hand of the physician over the many years of his practice.

The device of the present invention is an aid to the physician in the examination of a patients blood pressure in that the original pumping operation is accomplished quickly and with minimum effort.

Also, the. device of the present invention has components so arranged as to allow single hand operation, as was originally contemplated, but with this device because of its ease of operation, the physician being freed of using a repeated squeezing action, may use either hand to operate the switch and valve grouping at the squeeze bulb position.

SUMMARY or THE INVENTION Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a blood pressure cuff inflator which uses an electrically driven pump connected to the cuff and the blood pressure indicating means. The pump may be controlled from a position adjacent the valve release located on a squeeze bulb.

These, as well as further advantages which are inherent in the invention, will become apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the overall device of the present invention in use;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged detail view of the squeeze bulb and controls shown in FIG. 1; and FIG. 3 is an enlarged detail view of a second embodiment of the squeeze bulb and controls mounted thereon.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to FIG. 1, there is illustrated in the perspective view therein a view of the device of the present invention in use on the upper portion of the arm.

A blood pressure cuff 11 is connected by air line tubing 12 to a blood pressure indicator 13 of the mercury column type. Although a mercury column type of indicator is illustrated, this invention will work equally well with any type of indicator which is activated by air pressure to the instrument. Spring needle operated and sphygmooscillator types are also operated through air pressure changes and therefore may be used here as an alternative to the mercury column type of indicator illustrated.

Another air line tubing 14 also connected to blood pressure cuff 11 is connected at its opposite end to a wye connecter 15 having air line tubing branches I6 and 17- extending therefrom. Air line tubing branch 17 is then connected to air pump 20 through connecter 21 mounted on the casing and having a ball check valve therein (not shown).

Air pump 20 illustrated is of the oscillatory compressor type wherein a tube 22 from connecter 21 connects to a variable volume compression chamber 23, wherein electromagnet 24 operates an armature therein varying the volume of compression chamber 23, compressing the air therein and forcing the air out through tube 22 and connecter 21. Electric cord 25 attaches the electromagnet and an interrupting means to a power source at an electrical outlet. Also connected into the circuit is a two-wire cable 27, held to air line tubing 17 and 16 by clips 28 spaced at intervals along cable 27. Cable 27 extends out along air line tubing 16 until it terminates at a switch 30.

Air line tubing 16 which extends from wye connecter I5 is connected to squeeze bulb 31 through connecter 32. Besides switch 30 mounted on connecter 32, there is also a knurled oblong knob 33 which forms a portion of an exhaust valve connected therethrough in connecter 32.

The enlarged view in FIG. 2 more clearly shows squeeze bulb 31 with connecter 32 and air line tubing 16 connected thereto. Mounted on connecter 32 there is again shown exhaust valve knob 33 and switch 30 for controlling the on-off operation of air pump 20. A convenient type of electrical switch for manipulation by the fingers in the position shown is the slide switch 30. FIG. 3 shows an enlarged view of squeeze bulb 31 and exhaust valve knob 33, but shows a push type switch 35 mounted on a bracket attached to connecter 32, which also is a type of switch which can easily be manipulated by the fingers to switch air pump 20 on and off and thereby control cuff inflation and push the indicator 13 to the high reading required to begin a blood pressure reading.

In the operation of the device, after it has been connected as shown in FIG. 1, the operator who is usually the physician,

moves switch 30 (or 35 to the on position which starts the operation of the air pump 20. The pump 20 applies air pressure through the air line tubing to the cuff 11 and to the blood pressure indicator 13 until the indicator reads near the top of the scale or approximately 250 mm. of mercury. The switch 30 (or 35) is then moved to the off" position while the pressure reading and cuff inflation pressure remain constant because of the ball check valve in connecter 21. Knob 33 on connecter 32 is now operated to open the air release valve connected therein and deflate cuff 11 in the usual manner of determining a patients blood pressure.

In this manner, through operation of electrical switch 30 (or 35), or other type of electrical switch easily operated by a finger such as other types of push button switches, and then release valve knob 33, within the reach of one hand, the cuff is inflated and then deflation is accomplished for blood pressure reading without the usual slow and tiresome hand squeezing previously accompanying this operation. The other hand is, of course, free for use of the stethoscope or as necessary.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention and the invention is not to be considered limited to what is shown in the drawings and described in the specification.

Iclaim:

1. Apparatus for indicating blood pressure comprising:

indicating means for reading the blood pressure;

a blood pressure cuff connected through air line tubing to said indicating means;

an electrically controlled air pump inflating means connected through air line tubing to said blood pressure cuff;

an air squeeze bulb connected by air line tubing to the air line tubing between said inflating means and said blood pressure cuff;

mediately adjacent said air squeeze bulb;

and a switch for said electrically controlled air pump inflating means mounted immediately adjacent both said air squeeze bulb and said valve means;

whereby said air squeeze bulb, said valve means, and said switch are manipulatable by one hand without removing the hand from around said air squeeze bulb.

2. The apparatus of claim I wherein said inflating means includes a check valve in the air line tubing to said blood pressure cuff.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the air line tubing from said inflating means, said air squeeze bulb and said blood pressure cuff meet at a wye connector.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further characterized by said switch being of the slide switch type.

5. The apparatus of claim I, further characterized by said switch being of the push type switch.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further characterized by said indicating means being caused to register a reading comparable to the amount of air pressure applied thereto.

valve means to release air from said cuff mounted im-' 

